Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Twice-Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Ah, the sweet potato. That powerhouse of fiber, vitamins and minerals that makes my taste buds tingle with anticipation. Unless of course you top it with something sweet (then my taste buds curl up inside themselves and pout.) It's time to put away the bags of marshmallows, brown sugar and butter folks, and serve up the sweet potato in a more savory manner. These twice-baked sweet potatoes are just what the doctor ordered, literally. Not only are they filled with flavor, their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as their ability to help maintain stable blood sugar levels make them one of the healthiest foods available today. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line sheet pan with aluminum foil. Using fork, poke holes in sweet potatoes to allow steam to escape while baking. Rub each potato with a little bit of canola oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Baked for one hour (or more, depending on the size of your potatoes) until potatoes are fork tender when pierced. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Slice a small strip off of the top of the sweet potato and discard. Scoop out the flesh of the potato, being careful not to tear through skin. Place sweet potato pulp in food processor. Add the smoked mozzarella, the chipotle in adobo sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and cumin. Pulse to combine and puree sweet potatoes. Drizzle in the heavy cream and pulse until potatoes are the desired creamy consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Stuff sweet potato shells with pureed sweet potatoes. Top with monterey jack cheese and return potatoes to oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted. Remove from oven and garnish with a dusting of smoked paprika, crumbled bacon and green onions or chives.

*NOTE* .When I open a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, I puree them in the food processor and then freeze them in an ice cube tray. When frozen, I remove them and place them in a baggie and keep them in the freezer. Each cube contains approximately one tablespoon of chipotle in adobo puree.

I know you are like I am when it comes to not liking savory foods done sweet! Love this recipe. I could never figure out why they need to add sweet to squash, carrots, or other veggies that are already plenty sweet!!

Thanks for the excellent idea of freezing the chipotle peppers in adobo! I used to make homemade pesto and do the same thing, but it never occured to me to do it with the chipotles. Recently made chipotle mayo with it - http://notarealhousewife.blogspot.com/2010/06/guacamole-burger-with-chipotle-mayo.html

About Me

This is my documentation of my life after turning 50. Lots of recipes, some healthy, some not so much... tossed up with a hefty dose of sarcasm and motherly love.
My email address: maggielauerrdh(at)yahoo.com